The present invention relates generally to a treadmill and, more specifically, to a footplate for use in a treadmill, which is stable when installed and, has a lip that keeps the gap between the footplate and the continuous belt of the treadmill from sight.
FIG. 1 shows a footplate for use in a treadmill according to the prior art. According to this design, the footplate 5 has parallel grooves 511 in the top wall 51. This design of footplate 5 may be installed in a treadmill 7 (see FIG. 2) in either of the two ways shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. According to the mounting arrangement shown in FIG. 3, double-sided adhesive tapes 6 are fastened to the top walls 711 of transverse bars 71 of the treadmill 7 and the bottom wall 5110 of the footplate 5 corresponding to the grooves 511. This footplate mounting arrangement is not satisfactory in function because the double-sided adhesive tapes 6 become aged quickly with use. When the double-sided adhesive tapes 6 become aged, the footplate 5 may be forced out of plate by the user""s legs. According to the mounting arrangement shown in FIG. 4, double-sided adhesive tapes 8 are fastened to inner surface portions 501 and 502 of the footplate 5 and the outer surface portions 710 of transverse frame bars 71 and outer surface portions 740 longitudinal side rail 74 of the treadmill 7. This footplate mounting arrangement has the similar drawback.
The present invention has been accomplished to provide a footplate for treadmill, which eliminates the aforesaid problem.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the footplate has a top channel longitudinally disposed at one lateral side, a plurality of mounting holes disposed in the top channel, and a plurality of fastening elements respectively mounted in the mounting holes and threaded into one longitudinal side rail of the treadmill to fixedly secure the footplate to the treadmill. According to another aspect of the present invention, an ornamental packing strip is covered on the top channel of the footplate to keep the fastening elements from sight. According to still another aspect of the present invention, the footplate further has a lip longitudinally disposed at one lateral side remote from the top channel. When installed in the treadmill, the lip keeps the gap between the continuous belt of the treadmill and the footplate from sight.